Things That Belong In The Past
by Neurotic-Idealist
Summary: In a way it was amusing, to think that he had been the one to bestow that particular gift upon her. He would probably be horrified if he knew. In which case, it was a good job that she intended on him remaining none the wiser.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings! It's been ages since I've posted anything here, and my usual fandom is wrestling.**  
**But, recently I've been loving reading one of my favourite pairings, which happens to be Draco x Hermione**

**I've never written the fandom or pairing before, but I had a lot of inspiration, so I hope somebody enjoys this.**

**All characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing.**

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To say that the invitation to the event had been a surprise was a complete understatement.

The shimmering white and gold envelope being delivered to his home via owl had been the first surprise, given that he rarely received any personal mail, the exception being the odd letter from his mother. The only regular mail that he was used to was the official documents that were always sent to his office at work, and that the secretary left in the tray on his desk.

That day he had stared for a long while at the invitation, taking out his wand and examining the shimmering parchment for any sign of it being an attempt to prank him, to fool him into believing that there was at least one person who didn't wish that he'd perished along with the many others years previously.

He had changed his mind over whether to attend more than a dozen times over the past month, even deciding yesterday not to bother turning up, but for some reason the thought of spending another lonely evening by himself had forced him to down a shot of firewhiskey before going to work making himself look somewhat presentable. This was after all, a special occasion.

So now he stood and stared at the building in front of him, hearing the sound of music and voices inside, considering for the last time whether he was ready for the inevitable whispers and stares that would go hand in hand with his presence. Even if Harry himself had invited him to his 21st birthday party, Draco was not expecting a warm welcome from everybody else gathered.

Ascending the stone steps and placing a pale hand on the brass handle, the blonde took a breath and pulled it open in order to enter the building, deciding that anything less than a public execution would count as a win.

Not surprisingly, there were a lot of people gathered there to celebrate Harry's birthday milestone with him. A sea of redheads told Draco that the Weasley family were in attendance, although that was hardly a revelation, given that Harry was best friends with one of them and engaged to another.

Speaking of best friends, Hermione had to be there somewhere. Draco scanned the crowd with his silver eyes and finally landed on the brunette, who was happily engaged in conversation with a few people that he recognised as her fellow Gryffindors, yet didn't know their names.

A hand on his shoulder caused Draco to look away, meeting the green eyes of the birthday boy himself. "Draco, glad you could make it!"

"Well, I almost didn't." the blonde replied honestly.

"Can I get you a drink?" Harry asked, gesturing towards the bar.

"If you insist. I'll have a Firewhiskey." Draco nodded.

"No problem. Come sit with us." The dark haired man smiled, nodding his head towards a corner table, where Ginny was currently in conversation with Ron and a couple of others that Draco couldn't put names to.

Draco began to follow Harry, before stopping in his tracks and turning his attention back to Hermione. The crowd of people between them had thinned out somewhat now, and he admired how well she looked, in fact she was positively glowing. The blonde was about to make his way over to Harry's table when two more people dispersed from the crowd.

The brunette looked relaxed and happy. Her deep red dress finished just above the knee, clinging softly to her petite figure, and stretching over a neat but unmistakeable bump.

Blinking his silver eyes a couple of times in case he was seeing some kind of illusion, Draco stared at Hermione, who held a glass of what looked like pumpkin juice in her right hand, while her left came down to subconsciously cradle her bump as she chatted.

Draco loosened the top button of his black shirt and mentally went back to the last time he had seen the brunette woman. It had to be five, six months ago… Turning on his heel, the blonde headed towards Harry's table. He was going to need that firewhiskey…

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**So, what do you think? I'm out of practice with writing at the moment, but shall I continue? Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the people already following the story. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**All characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing.**

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Finishing the last drop of pumpkin juice, Hermione excused herself, placing the glass on a nearby table on her way towards the restroom. It had been less than half an hour since her last trip to the toilet, but the pressure of a growing baby on her bladder meant that the visits were becoming more frequent.

That was one of the milder side effects of pregnancy that she had experienced so far.

For the first three months she had been almost constantly attached to a toilet bowl and throwing up her latest meal. Morning sickness, more like morning, noon and night sickness! For somebody who had faced some horrific things in her young life, she hadn't expected pregnancy to be such a difficulty. Then again, considering who had fathered the baby…

Hermione cast her mind back six months and recalled the events that had led to her conceiving a child with one of the most despicable people she had ever met. It had been a dark and dreary January day when she had received a note from Draco, asking her if they could meet, adding that he wanted to atone for his sins in some way. Of course she was suspicious at first, but soon decided that if she couldn't change the past then she could surely make the future a little brighter.

They met in the corner of a quiet restaurant one evening after they had both finished their respective jobs. She had noticed that although he looked like the same old Draco, the spark was missing from his eyes, leaving only a steely gaze that seemed to linger a moment longer than it should on her face. She had forced herself to hold his gaze as he delivered an apology for all the bad that he had done towards her. She had never heard such genuine words come from his mouth in all their school years.

He had even paid for the dinner, even though he had barely eaten a thing, while she had devoured a plate of pasta, having missed her lunch break in order to keep working. As they made the short walk to her flat they spoke briefly about work, before they reached her door and turned to face each other. He smiled almost, and in a way that was surprisingly unlike the trademark Malfoy smirk. She wanted to show her appreciation of his apology in some way, opting to step forward and wrap her arms around his middle.

The hug was a little awkward, yet Draco made no move to release himself from her grip, instead placing his chin on top of her head and patting her back gently. When she eventually pulled away from him she twisted her key in the door and turned back to say goodnight. At that exact moment, the blonde happened to be going for a peck on the cheek, so when Hermione turned around, their lips had met.

Their brains had barely had time to process the awkwardness and embarrassment before their bodies reacted to their close contact. She had been reaching to pull him down to her height before he had even had a chance to pull away. Their lips began to move hesitantly against each other, becoming surprisingly heated all at once, warming their bodies from the bitter winter weather around them.

Hermione was unable to pinpoint just when or why it had happened, although a number of things had occurred to her the following morning when she awoke in her own bed. She was not alone, for one thing. A sideways glance at the dishevelled platinum blonde locks on the pillow beside her had confirmed that her bedfellow was in fact Draco, and a survey of the bedroom had confirmed that they had both shed their clothing. Although the most shocking thing to occur to her as she scanned the room was that her alarm clock read 8:45am – she was going to be late for work!

Scrambling to cover herself in some discarded clothing, the brunette had jabbed the blonde's shoulder with her finger and hissed his name. "Draco!"

"Yeah?" he groaned as he rolled over to her side of the bed.

"You have to go, now! I'm due at work at nine, as are you probably." She informed her bedfellow as she picked up her wand to try and make herself look somewhat presentable before rushing to work via Floo.

Draco had sighed and grunted, before swinging his long legs out of the bed and beginning to gather up his own clothing that was scattered in a path from the doorway. That had been the last time that they had spoken, and since neither was the most social person nowadays, they hadn't crossed paths anywhere in the past six months, and given her current situation, that suited Hermione just fine.

Just over a month later, it finally occurred to her that she might have a lasting reminder of that night, when the sickness kicked in, as well as a hormonal episode where she had screamed in her assistant's face for nor having watered a plant outside of her office.

She was almost four months gone when Harry had innocently mentioned that she had put on weight, which she would have slapped him for had Ginny not done it for her. She finally revealed her pregnancy to her friends, conveniently leaving out the identity of the child's father. After all, he had more issues than her favourite muggle magazine, and it wasn't like they were ever going to get married and raise the baby together! Anyway, she could be a single mother.

She had always wanted to be a mother someday. She was younger than she planned, but Hermione was beginning to get used to the fact that some things cannot be planned out or scheduled. Anyway, a child was a gift, a sign of renewed hope in a world that had been clouded in fear and uncertainty for so long.

In a way it was amusing, to think that he had been the one to bestow that particular gift upon her. He would probably be horrified if he knew. In which case, it was a good job that she intended on him remaining none the wiser.

Drying her hands before leaving the restroom, Hermione made her way back over to Harry's table, cradling her precious cargo from the crowds of people. She didn't look up until she arrived at the table to take her seat next to Ginny.

"There you are! Toilet again?" Harry raised a brow.

"Yep, baby's all comfortable lying against my bladder!" Hermione chuckled, turning her attention to what she realised was a new presence at the table.

Draco's steely silver eyes stared back at her…

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**What do you think? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to the people who reviewed, and to those who are already following the story. Enjoy the chapter!**

**All characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing.**

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Hermione's breath caught in her throat and her brown eyes widened into saucers as she registered Draco's presence at the table. One hand rested possessively over her neat bump while the other gripped the tablecloth. Nobody else at the table seemed to notice her great discomfort apart from the blonde himself, and Harry, who was the first to speak.

"Before you say anything, I invited him."

"What? Why?" Hermione demanded in a voice that was not her own.

"Look, I think it's time that we all decided to let bygones by bygones. Yes, some terrible things have happened in the past that we can't change, but we can change things for a better future. We lost people in the war, and their deaths won't be in vain if we all let go of any animosity that we still hold." Harry explained calmly.

"Harry's right." Ginny nodded.

"But…"

Hermione trailed off as Harry reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. "Just think of it as making a better place for your baby to grow up."

The pregnant woman sighed, knowing that Harry was right about this. And he had played the baby card, knowing full well that she was attached to the little person growing inside her, even if he had no idea that the baby's father was sitting at the table with them. All eyes were on her at this point, looking on expectantly for a reply.

"I suppose I can try." She finally spoke, keeping one hand rested on her bump.

"Thank you, all of you." Draco nodded, eyes resting on the pregnant woman as he nursed his glass of firewhiskey.

The rest of the table nodded before returning to their previous chatter, leaving Hermione sitting in awkward silence, which was mercifully interrupted by Luna, who dragged her away to another part of the room for a dance. The brunette couldn't help but feel relaxed in the presence of Luna, who informed her that she had been knitting something for the baby, which knowing her, could be anything at all.

The duo were joined by Neville for a brief chat before Ginny announced that it was time for Harry to blow out the candles on his birthday cake. Hermione moved forward to peer through a gap in the crowd, watching with a smile on her face as Harry blew out all twenty-one of his candles.

The pregnant woman tensed slightly as she felt somebody standing behind her. Normally she would have had a glance over her shoulder, but she wasn't sure what Draco's expression would be if she did. All attention was on the birthday boy as he and Ginny took to the dance floor; so Hermione turned on her heels and rushed for the restroom.

Relieved to find the room empty, Hermione dashed into a cubicle and threw up her stomach contents. When she was certain she was done, the brunette made it to her feet on shaky legs and flushed the toilet before exiting the cubicle. Taking the few steps over to the wall of sinks, she turned on the cold tap and began to slash her face with the cool water, giving a sigh of relief as she did so.

Reaching her hand out to grab a paper towel to dry her hands and face, the brunette was shocked and surprised when one was held out in front of her. Looking at the mirror's reflection, her stomach tensed again as those steely silver eyes of Draco's stared back at her. They stared at each other's reflection for a few moments before the pregnant woman spoke.

"You know this is the ladies bathroom, right?"

"Of course I do, Granger." The blonde replied.

"Go on then, ask me." Hermione shrugged her shoulders, still staring at the reflection.

Her brown eyes watched as Draco's gaze dropped to her bump. He leaned against the wall and gave a deep sigh. "I don't need to ask."

"Oh, is that right? Is that because you're so smart that you know everything about everything? Or is that just because you don't think anybody else would sleep with me? Go on, I'm curious." Hermione folded her arms over her chest and turned to face the blonde.

"Well it would be a coincidence that six months after we spent the night together, you turn up around six months pregnant and with no man in sight. Plus, I saw your reaction earlier, when you saw me sitting at the table." Draco replied,

"This changes nothing, you know. I don't know what you expect me to say."

"It changes everything!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Malfoy, do you really believe that? Maybe in the muggle world it could be worked around, but this is our world. This is me, the muggle-born war heroine, and supposedly smartest witch of my age, and you, the pureblood former Death Eater! It's not fair on this baby." Hermione cradled her bump protectively.

"It's not fair to keep a father from his child!"

"Really? Look at what your father did to you!"

Draco looked up and his eyes flashed with hurt.

Hermione knew then that she had crossed a line. She felt guilt ebb away at her as she attempted to form some sort of an apology, but before she could speak she realised that Draco was standing in front of her with an unreadable expression, almost a cross between frustration and disbelief. She shuddered involuntarily as he reached out and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"What I went through with my father, the way he brought me up…I never want to end up like that. I'm scared, but I want to be a better person. If you let me be a father to our baby, then I'll do everything in my power to make it work."

The door slammed open and a rather drunk witch stumbled into the nearest cubicle, paying no attention to the fact that there was a man standing in the ladies bathroom. Hermione took Draco by the arm and led him outside, finding a quiet staircase and sitting down on the bottom steps.

"Look, we can't discuss this here. Tonight is Harry's night." She reasoned.

"When can be discuss it then? The blonde raised a brow.

"Can you come to mine tomorrow, around three? We'll talk about it then."

They both nodded in agreement before going their separate ways.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Just wanted to say thank you to those who are already following the story. Enjoy the chapter!**

**All characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing.**

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Eyeing the clock on the mantle, Hermione watched the hands move closer and closer to three o'clock, anticipating the arrival of Draco at her flat. She had forced herself to take a seat on the couch, having done so much pacing in the same spot that she was genuinely afraid of wearing a hole in her living room carpet. Now her brown eyes wandered back and forth between the fireplace and the front door, not knowing how her guest would be arriving.

She didn't have to wait long before her question was answered, as a quick but purpose filled knock came from the front door. Hermione jumped out of her seat as if the couch were on fire, casting a backwards glance at the clock as she moved to open the door, opening it halfway to see if it was who she was expecting, before nodding her head towards the blonde man and opening the door wider to invite him inside.

"Right on time." She remarked, having seen that it was three on the dot.

"I like to be punctual." Draco replied, stepping inside and unbuttoning the jacket that he wore. Black, of course, like so much of his wardrobe. He didn't seem to be affected by the weather, even though it was the first day of August, and the need for any extra clothing was non-existent.

"Have a seat," Hermione gestured towards the couch as she hung his jacket up on one of the coat hooks beside the door. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Draco nodded.

"Okay, then I guess we should talk." The brunette spoke slowly, attempting to disguise her discomfort at the situation.

"I was under the impression that I came here to talk." The blonde drawled, as a hint of a smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

Instead of replying with sarcasm, which she was tempted to do, Hermione took a seat in the armchair across from Draco and took a framed photo from the mantle, smiling fondly before reaching across and handing it to him. He raised a brow and took it from her hands, examining it for a moment before looking to her for an explanation.

"It's a muggle photo, so obviously it doesn't move…but it's my most recent scan photo. Of the baby." She added.

At those last three words, the man's eyes widened in awe, and he began to inspect the photo more closely. To his untrained eye it was difficult to tell, although he was assuming that the large shape in the middle of the black and white grainy photo was his unborn child. He was so engrossed in the photo that he hadn't noticed Hermione sitting down beside him on the couch.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. I just…can't see much." The blonde admitted.

"Here, let me show you," She spoke softly, leaning across and pointing to places on the image, explaining what they were. "That's the baby's head, and this here is the nose. Down here is the arm…"

"And what's this part?" Draco questioned, pointing to another part of the image.

"That's the legs. The baby kept them crossed so we don't know if it's a boy or a girl." Hermione explained.

"It's a boy, obviously."

"How can you tell?"

"It's a Malfoy, of course. All the firstborns are sons." Draco stated.

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and raised a brow towards the blonde. He seemed somewhat amused by her reaction to his statement, and broke into a smirk before placing the framed photo down onto the coffee table.

"Boy or girl, I don't care as long as it's a healthy baby." She shrugged.

"Me too, obviously. But are you telling me that a part of you doesn't want to have a nursery all painted pink and decked out in teddy bears and dollhouses?" the blonde folded his arms to mirror her pose.

"Maybe a tiny bit. Let me guess, all Malfoy firstborns have a blue nursery for a boy?"

"Actually, no. I had a green nursery, green and silver in fact. Slytherin colours."

"Huh, I don't like this." The brunette pouted a little.

"Don't like what?" Draco raised a brow.

"You've been in my flat for over ten minutes now. We haven't yelled at each other, no insults have been thrown, and I was just wrong about something." Hermione replied with a slight smirk of her own.

"To be fair, I don't remember any insults being thrown the last time I was here, although I'm sure there were articles of clothing being thrown." The blonde broke into a genuine Malfoy smirk as the pregnant woman blushed a little.

"Okay, back to the baby talk." Hermione told him.

"As you wish. Now I know you're probably going to be really stubborn about this, but is there any way I can convince you to exchange the muggle doctors for wizarding ones? You know, I hear St. Mungo's has a great maternity ward. And money's no object, so if you wanted your own private nurse then we could get you one. And maybe you should move in with me too?" Draco suggested.

The brunette held her hands up in front of her before talking.

"Look, I don't want or need your money, Draco. I understand what you're saying though, and I will consider switching to a wizarding doctor, although I cannot promise anything. But why would I ever want to move into Malfoy Manor? Do you not remember the torture I endured there?"

"I take all that on board. But I should add that I don't live at Malfoy Manor anymore." Draco replied.

"You don't?" Hermione raised a brow.

"No, can't stand to be there anymore. My mother still lives there of course, so I visit occasionally, but I've lived elsewhere for the past year. It's just a modest apartment close to my office, but I'd be more than happy to expand it for you and the baby."

"It's a lot to take in. Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need." The blonde nodded.

"Thank you. But I'm not sure I have the luxury of taking my time anymore." Hermione smiled, looking down at her bump.

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